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Wednesday, 1st December 2010

Bought the Huawei MiFi E585 for S$185 from Amos of Hardware Zone Forums. It is a mobile router that makes use of your SIM card to connect to the Internet and the router itself supports 5 devices simultaneously.

It is similar to any 3G Modems but instead of only allowing one device (normally only computer) to use it via USB port, the MiFi allows up to 5 devices as long as the device have WiFi support which most if not all of the smartphones these days do. The MiFi is essentially a mobile router and hence it is capable of basic router functions such as DMZ, DHCP, SSID configuration, etc. You can configure those options using the router’s web-based interface (192.168.1.1) and the interface is mobile friendly as well. The E585 also comes with a MicroSD slot that you can use it as a shared storage for all the connected devices.

Of course there are cons to the E585 which is the the reliance on battery, the Huawei E180 3G Modem does not need a battery to operate because it draws power directly from your computer’s USB port. As it is meant to be portable and you can use it with other devices (not just a computer), the MiFi has a removable battery that supports up to 7 hours of usage. But of course you if you are using it with your computer, you can charge it using your computer’s USB port and use it at the same time.

Amos was one of the better sellers that I came across. As the product was delayed by a few days because of supplier issues, he keep you up to date with the situation by SMSing you. Once you are there to collect the product, he will verify your phone number with your name to ensure that you are who you are (I am not the only one ordering it). He will unseal the box in front of you, go through step by step on how to setup the E585 as well as how to RMA it incase there are problems with it. My first impression of him is he is very detailed and organized.